Column: Combine Idaho potatoes, Chobani Greek yogurt to make tasty mashed potaotes

In November, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) collaborated with Chobani, America’s No. 1 Greek yogurt brand, to create a festive recipe campaign promoting America’s favorite holiday side dish, mashed Idaho potatoes made with Chobani Greek yogurt, of course.

The recipe celebrates two of Idaho’s most important agricultural industries: potatoes and dairy, which generate billions of dollars for the state annually. This partnership is a natural fit, and supported by Idaho Gov. Brad Little. Chobani is a company with roots in Idaho that produces a high-quality product enjoyed by millions of consumers around the country, just like Idaho potatoes. Additionally, both foods are nutritious, accessible and compliment active lifestyles.

The IPC/Chobani partnership kicked off on Nov. 1 with the release of a new mashed Idaho potato recipe featuring Chobani Greek yogurt. Both organizations heavily promoted the recipe throughout the month on their websites, across social channels and their newsletters, and shared the news with media outlets at home in Idaho and across the country.

The campaign culminated with an exciting announcement: the fourth Thursday of November has been declared National Mashed Idaho Potato Day by National Day Archives, a national registry for special days and events. Why this day? Based on what we know, we’re pretty certain more mashed potatoes are eaten on Thanksgiving than any other day of the year:

• Nearly all Americans (97%) have potatoes at their holiday meal (Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas)
• Close to three in five (56%) surveyed say mashed potatoes are their favorite holiday spud dish to eat at these festive gatherings.

In recognition of this monumental day, a social media campaign was created on Chobani.com to give folks a chance to win Chobani Greek Yogurt and boxes of fresh Idaho potatoes just in time for the holidays. Also, a special video featuring Spuddy Buddy dancing with the official declaration from National Day Archives was posted on Thanksgiving.

The period between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day is the busiest time of year for the Idaho potato industry in terms of sales. We want to remind consumers at every touch point possible — at retail, on social media, in print — to always look for the “Grown in Idaho” seal to be sure they’re purchasing genuine Idaho potatoes.

The recipe is available here.